1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices used in lavage of extremities, and, more particularly, to devices especially adapted for containing waste fluids that result from lavage of extremities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When any type of orthopedic trauma that has an open wound arrives in surgery, proper protocol is to clean out the wound. The actions of wound cleaning are often referred to as irrigate and debride. To conduct irrigation and debridement, the physician or other medical worker generally uses a system known as Pulsevac which is a shower-like irrigating system which loosens dirt, bloody particles and any foreign materials from the wound. Normal saline solution is often used as the irrigating fluid.
Although the irrigation and debridement are successful in wound cleaning, a large amount of waste fluids are produced. The waste fluids include body fluids and tissues and waste irrigation fluid. A serious problem results from the fluid mess that results from the fluid lavage. The messy fluids often splash in many directions and often end up on the floor. With the dangers of communicable diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis, wearing a mask, safety goggles, and other protective gear does not provide adequate protection to the surgical staff. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device for collecting irrigation and debridement wastes were provided which prevents irrigation fluids from splashing onto medical personnel as the irrigation and debridement is carried out. Also, it would be desirable if a device for collecting irrigation and debridement wastes were provided which prevented the wastes from collecting on the floor.
When an appendage such as an arm or leg is injured, it would be desirable to have a device especially adapted to contain the waste fluids that result from lavage of the injured appendage.
When a dirty wound is lavaged, the dirt and other materials that are washed away are often scattered and diluted. In many cases, however, it would be desirable to collect the washings so that they can be inspected and examined.
In the stressful environment of emergency care, some details as to treatment may be overlooked in the emergency conditions. For example, the physician or other medical worker may want to know the volume of waste lavage fluids collected. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device for collecting irrigation and debridement wastes were provided which enabled measurement of the volume of the collected fluids.
An appendage such as an arm or a leg is generally cylindrically shaped. In this respect, for adequate lavage, all sides of the appendage should be exposed to lavage fluids. To accomplish this result, a containment device for lavage fluids should permit all sides of the appendage to be exposed to the lavage fluids.
A given appendage, whether an arm or a leg, may come in many shapes and sizes. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device for collecting irrigation and debridement wastes were provided which were readily adapted to fit onto a variety of sizes of appendages.
As stated above, irrigation and debridement often takes place during emergency conditions. In this respect, any device for containing waste lavage fluids should be capable of being-installed rapidly and easily.
During the course of lavage, before the lavage is complete, waste fluids are continuously produced. In this respect, a device for containing waste lavage fluids may be temporarily made quite dirty. With this in mind, it would be desirable if a waste fluid containment device were provided with means for temporarily cleaning the waste containment device during an on-going lavage process.
To assure that waste lavage fluids are contained within a containment device, it would be desirable if a water-fight seal were provided between the exterior and the interior of the containment device.
As lavage is carried out and as the containment device continuously receives waste fluids during lavage, it is important that the containment device permits medical personnel to observe the lavage process as the lavage process is carried out and as the waste fluids are contained.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to collection of bodily fluids that drain from a patient, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,086,925; 4,725,270; 4,974,604; 5,107,857; and 5,171,307.
Of the patents just mentioned, U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,604 discloses a surgical drape for a leg with a fluid collection system. With this device, the materials are all flaccid and provide no structural support for the leg. In this respect, the leg must be bent at the knee so that the calf is substantially vertical when the device is used. Often, however, a leg sustains injuries so that it is not desirable to bend the leg at the knee. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device for collecting irrigation and debridement wastes were provided which provided structural support for an appendage and did not require the appendage to be bent so that a portion of the appendage is in a vertical orientation during lavage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,307 discloses a device for collecting irrigation solution from an eye irrigation. Such a device is not adaptable to an appendage such as an arm or leg.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use devices for collecting waste fluids from a lavage process, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest an extremity attached containment apparatus for lavaged fluids which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) prevents irrigation fluids from splashing onto medical personnel as the irrigation and debridement is carried out; (2) prevents the wastes from collecting on the floor; (3) is especially adapted to contain the waste fluids that result from lavage of an injured appendage; (4) collects the lavage washings so that they can be inspected and examined; (5) enables measurement of the volume of the collected fluids; (6) permits all sides of the appendage to be exposed to the lavage fluids; (7) adapts to fit onto a variety of sizes of appendages; (8) is capable of being installed rapidly and easily; (9) includes means for temporarily cleaning the waste containment device during an on-going lavage process; (10) provides a water-tight seal between the exterior and the interior of the containment device; (11) permits medical personnel to observe the lavage process as the lavage process is carried out and as the waste fluids are contained; and (12) provides structural support for an appendage and does not require the appendage to be bent so that a portion of the appendage is in a vertical orientation during lavage. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique extremity attached containment apparatus for lavaged fluids of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.